interview tips

Once you've snagged a job interview, the inevitable nerves that follow can make it difficult to focus on preparation. With a little bit of planning, though, you can bring your best business-ready self to the table. Follow these tips leading up to your big moment.

Several hours earlier:

1. It's important to have a healthy, substantial breakfast, of course, but it's just as important to eat well the night before so that you feel your best in the morning. Choose nutritious foods that fill and satisfy, and remember to limit caffeine to one or two servings. Chances are you'll already be feeling jittery, so put a cap on your coffee consumption.

2. Check the hourly forecast and grab any extra items that you may need: an umbrella, a raincoat, gloves, or suitable footwear, for instance.

3. Shoes are important: make sure your pair is both weather-appropriate and easy to walk in, because the last thing you want to do is trip your way through the office. The night before your interview, wear the selected shoes with socks for a couple hours to guarantee that they're broken in and comfortable.

Continue reading for more essential tips.

You might dream of packing your bags and running off to make it big in New York City, but the fact of the matter is, it's extremely hard to get a call back from an employer if you don't live the same city. To raise your chances of succeeding, here are some things you should do:

• Move There: The best way to find a job in the city you'd love to work in is to be on the ground, networking, and interviewing in the city itself. That will save you plenty of awkward questions about where you're actually living. However, this option is not ideal for everyone since it's going to be hard to cover the cost of moving and living expenses when you're not making any income. Although this is probably your best bet for getting a job in the city you want, it's also the most costly.
• Find a Company Contact: Since your location is working against you, you need an extra edge to get an "in" at the company. Network through your existing contacts or through networking sites like LinkedIn and do your best to find an employee or a friend who knows someone at the company. It'll definitely increase your chances of scoring an interview despite your zip code.
• Borrow an Address: Approach a friend and ask her if you can borrow her address for your resume. I've heard from several friends that they only started hearing back from employers when they used a local address. Try not to make it a focal point during an interview, and remember if it comes up, be honest about where you live, and voice your plans to relocate.
• Get a Google Voice Number: Sign up for a Google Voice phone number that has a local number so that you can list that on your resume.

For more advice on how to get a job in your dream city, read on.

Job hunters get the short end of the stick during interviews — the hiring managers hold all the cards, and if you don't get the job, you're left wondering why. Sometimes going over the interviews countless times can be frustrating and will harm rather than help. Instead of beating yourself up over a job you didn't get, use it as a chance to hone your interviewing skills for the other available job positions. A friend of mine, who helps with the hiring process at her company, recently shared some of her interviewing experiences with me. Here are some secrets that interviewers are holding back from you:

• It takes 10 minutes. It's sad but true. Most employers have already decided in their minds within the first ten minutes if you're a no-go or if you have potential. The first few minutes are very crucial so be sure you follow good interview protocol, such as arriving early for the interview, but not too early, dressing for the part, and showing enthusiasm.
• You'll get a generic rejection response. They won't really tell you the real reason you didn't get the job, because it's just customary not to. They may be too polite to tell you that you actually don't listen very well and cut in when they're still talking, or maybe your answers don't seem very genuine. It's not likely that you'll find out exactly what you did wrong from them so it's important to find out on your own. You can perhaps do this through mock interviews with your friends. If you've already been doing that with your peers before the interview, try a new set of people to practice interviewing with. They might give you different feedback.

Read on for more secrets hiring managers won't tell you.